Exclusive Interview with the Creators of DayZ – “I’D KILL FOR SOME BEANS” Day01

[DayZPvP.com 143]

Xtian Bretz and Alik Griffin are the directors of the cult hits DayZ – “I’D KILL FOR SOME BEANS” Day01 and My First Experience Playing DayZ – Live Action. They also star in the very cool short films along with other actors. In between shoots for this DayZ project, and other work for their D Day Hollywood Youtube channel the survivors took the time to answer some of my questions about what got them started in film and what the heck is so inspiring about DayZ.

DayZPvP – What have you done in film before you caught the DayZ infection?

Xtian – I got my start in online video in 2004 when I released the viral video “how to be: emo” on my own website. From that, CAA sent me out on meetings where I met Damon Berger (now the executive producer ofWhat’s Trending). Over the following years Damon and I worked together on several projects, at the same time I was doing freelance editing/visual effects for tv and film. Then in 2010, Damon Berger, Shira Lazar and I started Partners Project together. Partners Project is like the Inside the Actor’s Studio of YouTube. After meeting many of the key figures in the YouTube space (Corridor Digital, FreddieW), I was inspired to start my own channel “DDay Hollywood” with Alik Griffin. I really wanted to get back to my roots of making movies and having fun with my friends.

Alik – I’ve been editing and shooting since I graduated filmschool at UCSD in 2005. I moved to Los Angeles in 2007 where I was shooting freelance and cutting network promos until I landed a gig G-Net Agency where I’ve been cutting Game Trailers since. Chris and I have been working with each other doing various videos since about 2006 and in 2011 we joined together on our own Youtube channel DdayHollywood which has been a blast.

DayZPvP - Moving on to the DayZ videos what roles do you play? Who shoots the video and who writes the script?

The actors are typically our friends, roommates or other YouTubers. We live in Hollywood so pretty much everyone is an actor. I think our pizza delivery guy is an actor.

We both direct the videos together and switch off shooting depending on who’s in the scene at the time. Then we both share the post production process, for instance one of us will do the initial edit while the other does the visual effects or visa verse.

As far as the scripts go, we’ll usually toss ideas around on the phone, pick one then write it and shoot it!

To see their sexy pictures, read the rest of the interview, and find out how they make the DayZ videos please click here.

Edited July 27, 2012 by DayZPvP.com